This week, I visited Noor ul Islam Mosque in Leyton for a meeting hosted by the Waltham Forest Council of Mosques. I’m always grateful for the opportunity to listen, reflect, and engage with local perspectives. Thank you to WFCOM for hosting and for the important work you continue to do in our community.

Last week, I joined the House of Commons Defence Select Committee on a visit to the U.S. Our agenda included discussions with NATO Joint Force Command Norfolk, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, RAND, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the United States Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of State. We spoke with members of Congress, industry, and academia - all focused on the future of defence and transatlantic cooperation.

APPG for the Armed Forces Community meeting minuets on the 13th May 2025

Thank you to Connaught School for Girls for the warm welcome last week. It was great to sit down with the school leadership team and of course Teddy the school dog to hear more about the school’s priorities and the support they need to continue delivering for their students.

I recently had the privilege of hosting a Defence-Space Industry Roundtable in Parliament, bringing together leaders from across government and industry to address the future of the UK’s space sector with Maria Eagle MP, Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry.

I welcome the Foreign Secretary’s strong condemnation of Israel’s actions, the suspension of trade talks and sanctions on the extremist settler movement. I hope that our joint statement with France and Canada, issued last night, will further step up pressure on Israel.

For three months now, Israel has blocked aid from reaching people in utterly dire need in Gaza. UN agencies and charities still operating in Gaza are closing their operations because supplies, including those paid for with UK funding, can’t get through. Israel has now also announced plans to expand its military operations in Gaza on a massive scale and forcibly displace most of the population who are already experiencing terrible suffering. This is simply abhorrent.

Last week I led my first delegation of businesses as the UK’s Trade Envoy to southern Africa. We had a very productive and promising few days in Angola, which has massive potential for growth and for increased trade and investment links with the UK. 30+ UK business leaders and many more from Angola came together to identify the opportunities.

Brilliant to visit Buxton School in Leytonstone this week, an all-through school supporting young people aged 3–16.

I attended a meeting with the Met Police to discuss the use of stop and search powers, a topic that has impacts many across London, especially within marginalised communities.

A very happy VE Day weekend to you all! I had a lovely time at Forest East Drive VE Day Street Party. Thank you to everyone who came.

It was very cool to bump into Leyton-based Ricky from comic publisher Avery Hill in Parliament! Our constituency is a thriving hub for artists and the creative industries. We must focus discussions on protecting artists from AI misuse, ensuring that the rights of small businesses and artists are safeguarded.

A very happy May to you all! From launching a campaign for step-free access at Snaresbrook to running the London marathon, it has been a packed April. Here is some of what I got up to:

It was good to mark Workers’ Memorial Day with trade unions and constituents in Waltham Forest today. We paid tribute to those who have tragically lost their lives whilst simply going to work, both in Leyton and Wanstead and throughout our country.